Public Forum and Guest Lectures

The Center has established the tradition of hosting important public forums and guest lectures on various public issues for the University and the community. Past events include:

Hispanic Heritage Gala

On September 14, 2012, the Center for the Study of the American Dream, Xavier's Office of Interfaith Community Engagement, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of a high school essay contest on the theme of immigration. More than 30 junior high schools and high schools from the Greater Cincinnati area participated in the essay contest. The winners received their awards at the Hispanic Heritage Gala at the National Underground Freedom Center. Kat Ryder, coordinator at the Center for the Study of the American Dream was keynote speaker at the event. More pictures here.

The Center for the Study of the American Dream hosted a casual discussion of this year's presidential primary season with two seasoned political consultants with years of campaign experience. For students interested in political campaigns, this event was a great opportunity to learn more about this year's primary and its effect on the fall election. The event was held on April 3, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Gallagher Center Clock Tower Lounge.

A Conversation with Dennis Eckart

The Xavier University Center for the Study of the American Dream was proud to partner with the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue to present a political public forum with 1971 Xavier alumnus Dennis Eckart on April 12, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Schiff Conference Center at Xavier University. With 13 years experience in the House of Representatives as well as a wealth of knowledge gained while working on various campaigns, Eckart was a valuable source of insight and perspective to politically-minded students, staff, faculty, and community members during this question-and-answer style session.

Gambling Debate on Merits of Issue 3

The Center for the Study of the American Dream, along with WLWT hosted a gambling debate on Oct. 26, 2009. Members from TruthPAC, The Ohio Jobs & Growth Committee and others discussed the merits of Issue 3 in a taped newscast that aired before the November election. Issue 3 decided whether or not the state should allow casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. WLWT streamed stream the event live on its Web site, www.wlwt.com, so that those who couldn't attend could e-mail or text questions for the panelists.

Candidate Forum: Cincinnati City Council

The Center for the Study of the American Dream teamed up with Invest in Neighborhoods Inc. to conduct a Cincinnati City Council candidate forum on behalf of community councils on Sept. 30, 2009, on the University campus. All 21 candidates for both the council and the mayor's office attended. Community councils submitted a list of five questions ahead of time for candidates to answer via pre-taped interviews, which will be played at the forum before transitioning to a live question-and-answer session.

Celebrating Constitution Day

The Center for the Study of the American Dream hosted a Constitution Day event to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution and raise the prestige of the public on Sept. 17, 2009. In observance of Constitution Day, the Institute invited its founding director, Michael Ford (Class of 1970), to talk about the challenges in ratifying the Constitution. Mack Mariani, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, moderated a student panel that discussed topics such as whether or not the Constitution could pass today and if it's still relevant in today's society.

The State of the Economy

The Center for the Study of the American Dream hosted best-selling author and former Nixon adviser Kevin Phillips on April 22, 2009.Phillips was a strategic adviser to President Richard Nixon and the former editor/publisher of The American Political Report. He has contributed to the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal and is a regular commentator for National Public Radio. His New York Times bestselling books include the recently published Bad Money, as well as American Theocracy, American Dynasty, and Wealth and Democracy.

Cincinnati Mayors Forum

The Center for the Study of the American Dream, along with NBC affiliate WLWT-TV, hosted a former Cincinnati mayors forum on April 15, 2009. Eight former Cincinnati mayors were in attendance, including Jerry Springer, Bobbie Sterne, Tom Brush, Arn Bortz, David Mann, Dwight Tillery, Eugene Ruehlmann, and Roxanne Qualls. Ken Blackwell took part via a pre-taped interview. Current mayor Mark Mallory made the opening remarks. WLWT-TV is taping the forum to air at a later date.

Presidential Election Debate

The Center for the Study of the American Dream hosted a panel presentation with four nationally known political experts discussing the historic nature of this year's campaign on Oct. 20, 2008. Panel members include Donna Brazile (D), Joe Trippi (D), Michael Murphy (R) and John Kasich (R).